City of Dubuque to replace 585 lead water lines

Taking advantage of substantial federal investment through the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the city of Dubuque soon will begin replacing lead water service lines at 585 homes at no cost to the property owners.  The city acquired funding through the Iowa State Revolving Fund as part of the $50 billion directed to the Environmental Protection Agency to improve the nation’s drinking water and wastewater systems. It is the single largest federal investment in clean water in U.S. history.  Water Department Director Christopher Lester said the project will proceed in three phases. Two hundred lines will be replaced in 2024, 200 in 2025 and the remaining 185 in 2026.  The State Revolving Fund loan the city acquired is 49% forgivable, with the city of Dubuque repaying the other 51% at 0% interest, with a 0.5% administration fee required by the state to manage the fund. Lester estimated a cost of $10,000 to $12,000 per project, or roughly $3.2 million for the city to repay. The repayment of the loan will come through water fees and is already built into the budget.  Lester said the program represents about 10% of the city’s 5,756 lead service lines.